Mother of the Boy Who Lived
by siss7
Summary: AU What would it be like being the mother of the boy lived? Mothers are mean to each other whether they are muggle or witch and it's not easy for Lily Potter when her husband's an Auror and her son floats during nap time.


Authors note: I would like to thank my beta. She knows who she is. I promised if she let me get this out I would work on another story. Also, I want to thank another person who helped me with this idea, she also knows who she is.

I have more ideas for this story. This takes place in a universe where Dumbledore sacrificed himself.

Except for the day she married James Potter, the day Lily Potter became a mother was the greatest day of her life. She held her baby in her arms and knew instantly he was a Harry.

Her first year as a mother, the wizarding world was at war. Motherhood was a blessing in the worst of circumstances and Harry was the light in the darkness Lily saw around her.

Then the summer of 1981.

There was a prophecy.

They were forced into hiding.

Voldemort came for Harry.

They'd been betrayed.

Dumbledore returned James' invisibility cloak on Halloween and suggested James and Lily take the night off. Dumbledore could watch little Harry. They returned to a destroyed home, a scared, crying baby and worst of all Dumbledore dead, but Harry survived.

When Dumbledore stood in front of Voldemort, he activated an ancient charm that weakened Voldemort and gave Harry a scar. They knew Voldemort wasn't gone. James and Lily vowed that they would spend the rest of their life protecting Harry and the wizarding world.

Dumbledore left letters to both James and Lily. He'd been cursed by a ring and would have died within the month, so he chose to die under his terms and sacrifice his life for the greater good. In turn, he left the blueprint for defeating the darkest wizard.

Lily and James found out when Harry was nearly three that Dumbledore had also left instructions for Remus, Severus, and Sirius. They each had their instructions, including not sharing their part with the others. James and Lily decided that even though they didn't know the whole plan, they could trust Dumbledore and they could trust that the people Dumbledore entrusted wouldn't put Harry in danger.

It also forced James and Severus to let go of their childhood grudge, something that either wouldn't entirely let go of, but the would do it because Lily didn't give either of them a choice.

James went into Auror training. He wanted to be on the front lines and being an Auror would allow him to put the witches and wizards who followed Voldemort in Azkaban.

While still at Hogwarts, Lily wanted to create potions. After the war, Lily went into training at the local apothecary to be a Potions Master (the trick was picking the ingredients during the full moon). Becoming a mother didn't stop her.

Their neighbor Bathilda Bagshot watched Harry while she and James worked.

When Harry was four, Lily obtained her Apothecary Certification and Potions Master. She decided to work as an apothecary supplier. She sold to five of the major apothecaries in greater England and Scotland, even the biggest one in Diagon Alley. She loved her work. She constantly had wizards seeking her out, trying to get her to try their potions. She knew all the best herbalists and traveled all over the world seeking out new ingredients for potions. Lily was also known for her Wolfsbane Potion, it was truly the best. She had a home office and set her hours, leaving her more time with Harry.

Lily tried to be a "mother without magic," a popular movement at the time. It encouraged young mothers to "be a natural mother".

"Leave your wands in your dresser," preached the books and articles written by Mildred Matterly (Mother Milly as she was known from her article in Witch Weekly). She said using magic was for lazy new mothers and that it was better to let "a woman's natural motherly magic" care for her children. She said witch mothers didn't need magic when their children were young. Instead, mothers should embrace their natural abilities and the "magic would spring forth from love."

Milly had seven children, all girls, each thirteen months apart, all with magical ability before age one. All the girls were sorted into Slytherin House and not a single one of them were Death Eaters (she didn't mention that her oldest married a Death Eater, who currently resided in Azkaban, but every family has a black sheep). All of her children achieved seven O.W.L.S and had been prefects, something she attributed to not using her wand.

Surely, Lily, a mother of one known as The Boy Who Lived, could raise her child with no magic. Lily was a muggle-born and it was nice to not be looked down upon by other mothers because she had a career. It didn't matter to these women that LIly was taking on a career that went to men who were older and had more life experience than her. Or that she was paving the way for other witches in her field. They just saw a mother who left her child with the neighbor while she made potions all day.

James told her when they got married that if she wanted to be a housewife or work it didn't matter. Now that the war was over, she wanted to follow her dreams. She could have it all, be the wife of an Auror, mother of The Boy Who Lived and the youngest Potions Mistress in three generations and the only witch currently in practice (there were three in the last four-hundred years).

The reality of following her dreams was that she was gone all day and then came home to a tired husband (who was admittedly chasing dark wizards and making the world safe for her and her son) and an energetic toddler who would often levitate during bath time. She found herself using her wand to put Harry to bed and washing the dishes, laundry and ironing James' robes. Then she'd cry herself to sleep because she was using magic and it was her choice to be away from Harry.

Harry's magical abilities were evident before he was one. Harry floated his teddy bear during nap time at two weeks, he also changed his own diaper. Lily wasn't quite sure how that worked, she just knew he would have a wet diaper, and then he didn't. He didn't roll over, he sat up. He didn't walk, he ran. Even for a magical baby, he had remarkable balance.

At six months, Harry's Godfather and favorite Uncle Sirius (or Padfoot, depending on whether he and James were using their childhood nickname) gave him a toy broom.

Lily cursed Sirius... luckily his left eyebrow grew back perfectly fine. Mother Milly would not have approved _(you must keep your temper under control so your child never feels emotions other than happiness.)._

Unfortunately for her, the boy had already spotted the broom and managed to get on it and was flying around the room laughing.

"He's a natural!" James said.

There would be no winning that battle.

She found herself saying things no sane person would.

First, it was "no flying in the house."

Then it was, "No flying backward."

Or

"Upside down."

Or

"Running starts to get on the broom."

Harry was three.

He knocked out his first tooth flying into a tree and most people thought it was amazing he went that long. James just laughed. He thought it was hilarious that his little boy was such a natural on a broom. Lily did not find it as entertaining as her darling, sweet husband.

She wanted to use a severing charm on his head.

Harry was perfectly capable of causing and/or getting into trouble off a broom as well. It wasn't uncommon for her to say things like:

"Don't tease the portraits."

"No bringing your toys to life."

"Get off the (insert anything a person- or even only a cat- can climb)."

James would just laugh and say something stupid like "That's my boy."

The only thing that kept her from using an exploding charm on her husband was knowing she wouldn't look good in an Azkaban uniform. (Mother Milly said that a mother must never be upset with her husband… Lily stopped reading and threw the book against the wall because she was certain Milly had never met James Potter.)

James Potter wasn't an idiot (most days). He was, in fact, a very very brilliant, charming, handsome, brave wizard. He encouraged her, let her vent about the concoctions people tried to sell her. He even brought her into a case as an expert when someone was selling poisonous frog legs to wizards on the black market. James helped out around the house (Milly insisted that went against the witch's place in the home but James thought his wife's place was next to him). He took care of Harry, played with him and even cooked dinner (James made the best shepherd's pie).

Then Harry was five and going through a falling stage; he thought it was funny to bounce (actually, James thought it was hilarious and because James thought it was hilarious, the mini version of him thought it was hilarious). One day, after an overnight business trip to meet a new supplier of hemlock root and bat wings, Lily took Harry to the enchanted playground in Godrick's Hollow where the Witches Only mothers' playgroup met.

The playground had a broom carousel that floated up and down while spinning. Swings that pushed themselves. A miniature replica Platform 9 ¾ with Hogwarts Express that went around the playground. There were twelve slides attached to a giant beanstalk, each with a platform; the highest could barely be seen and was generally covered with a cloud, the slide had loops and was enchanted with a sticking charm. The children slid down the beanstalk and rode animals attached to a spring

The other mothers generally stood off to the side while the children played. The conversation easily turned to Milly and her latest article/ book/ whatever else she was doing that week.

"I made the most perfect Treacle Tart the other day using her recipe, she's just the most brilliant witch in the kitchen," said one of the mothers at the playground.

"She taught me how to use an oven and my husband was so pleased," another mentioned as her child ran up to her with a bleeding knee.

Lily smiled, agreed with the other witch out of habit and drank her coffee as Harry played in the sandbox. Another no-no according to Milly- something about natural energy from a mother's love. But Lily was running on no sleep and a toddler with more energy than her love could currently keep up with. She drank it out of a clear bottle and used a charm to make the liquid clear (she still felt like a guilty fraud).

"If you love her treacle tart, her kidney pie is wonderful," said one of the mothers. Her child stood at the top of the floating brooms carousel and screamed for her.

Lily tried the kidney pie recipe. It wasn't that good and actually, James made a better kidney pie that Harry loved, but she didn't say that because saying anything bad would turn the mothers against her. They would bring up the fact that she was a working mother or a muggle-born and Lily didn't have the energy to defend her family's choices this morning.

"Ronald," Lily heard a voice boom over the playground. A red-headed little boy came running into view, followed closely by two screaming boys and a little girl on their tail.

"Oh, lovely," mumbled one of the other mothers. "The Weasleys are here."

Lily vaguely recognized Molly Weasly from parties at the ministry. She had been closer to Molly's brothers, who'd both been in The Order of the Phoenix with her and James.

Molly had red hair and carried a large bag. She had her wand out, muttered something and all four of the screaming red-heads appeared before their mother.

"You will behave!" she said to them. "Or we will go home and there will be extra chores and extra homework."

"Yes, Mum," they all said in unison and scurried off to play.

For the rest of the morning, Lily watched the red-headed family on the playground. The oldest stuck close by his mother. Molly seemingly only had her eyes glued to the youngest, a little girl younger than Harry, but not by much. Her red hair was in pigtails and she had the most beautiful eyes. The twins ran around the playground with boundless energy, laughing and playing. Their antics reminded her of her husband and his best friend. The remaining child gravitated toward Harry and the two played until it was time to leave. They climbed up to the slides, floated off the swings and landed perfectly on their feet. They built sandcastles and Molly enchanted the sand so water flowed in the moat, flags atop the towers waved and the drawbridge opened.

Molly seemed to have three eyes and one in the back of her head. At one point, one of the twins almost ran into a pole. She cushioned the blow by turning the pole into a pillow. At any one time, any one of her kids was doing something dangerous and she stopped it every time. She drank from a never-empty coffee cup (guzzled it actually) that gave her the ability to match the energy of the twins.

Anytime one of the children needed something, she provided the requested item.

Diaper? Check.

Snack? She was a one-woman grocery store, even providing a band-aid to the child with a bleeding knee.

Toys for enchanted sandcastle? Done.

Dragon for enchanted sandcastle? It breathed fire.

She even found a princess to be saved from the fire-breathing dragon for the tower.

When it was time to go, she gathered the children with a flick of her wand and they apparated together. They all looked exhausted and ready for a nap, even the twins.

As Lily gathered Harry to leave, she could overhear the other mothers gossiping about the Weasley family.

"You can hear them coming from a mile away," one mother whispered.

"And she just uses her wand like it's nothing. Ginny hasn't shown an ounce of magical ability yet, that girl is going to end up being a squib and it serves the Weasleys right for having so many children."

As Lily walked Harry home, she felt unsteady. The other mothers at the playground looked down on Molly because she used magic. That's just not what Lily saw. She saw a mother keeping her children safe, never losing track of them, even though they outnumbered her 5/1 and she was fairly certain the twins could be counted twice based on how much energy they had.

Meanwhile, everyone else stood at the edge of the playground, including Lily, and debated whether they were going to send their child to Muggle school before Hogwarts which then lead to Mother Milly's homeschool program she promised to release soon, all for the low low price of 10 galleons per month.

Lily lay Harry down for a nap, singing his favorite song to him. She kissed his little cheek as he closed his eyes. She lingered in the doorway to watch his peaceful rest. Every time that little boy smiled, a pang of guilt went straight to her heart. She followed her dream, but it was her little boy she missed when she was gone doing the thing she loved. No matter what barriers she was breaking down and what road she was paving for other witches she hated that it meant afternoons watching her little boy sleep were the exception and not the rule.

* * *

Lily didn't go to the next playground playdate. She traveled for a week straight and had an open house where witches and wizards came to her. She had a meeting at the Ministry to get her Wolfsbain Potion certified as an approved medication for lycanthropy.

The next afternoon she had free to be with Harry was over a month later. Harry was restless, but she didn't have the energy required to be around the Milly Mother's crowd, so she went later in the morning.

Harry immediately saw the little red-headed boy called Ron and they took off running for the slides.

"You're Lily Potter?" Molly asked her as soon as Lily caught up to her son. "Percy," she said to the oldest boy who still wouldn't leave her side, "go play, dear."

"I am," Lily answered when he was out of sight.

"Hang on," Molly said. "George, don't trample your brother!" she said to her son.

"My bro…" she paused. "Excuse me," she said, taking out her wand as the twin boys pushed the little girl on the swing so high, the little girl was eye level with the top bar. Molly slowed down the swing. "Go sit," she said to the twins, pointing to the picnic table. "The swings don't need your help!"

"I apologize," she said to Lily. "My goodness!" Molly was distracted again. "Ginny, don't eat sand!" Her wand got rid of the sand in the little girl's mouth.

"It's always something," Molly said.

"Harry, no jumping from the flying brooms," Lily said when she turned around to find Harry and Ron.

"Ron," Molly said, seeing the same thing Lily did. "No pushing off the broom."

Just then, Harry leaped and missed the broom, falling in the air. Molly cushioned his fall with a pillow. Lily ran over to the little boy as Harry bounced off the pillow and laughed.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Molly said horrified. "It was just a gut reaction."

"It's okay," Lily said. "Really. He bounces usually, but not from the high off the ground. I should be thanking you."

"I know it's not popular to use magic with young kids–"

"It's okay, really," Lily assured her, just as Ron slipped off the brooms and landed in Lily's arms.

"It's going to be one of those days today," Molly sighed as Ron and Harry got up and together ran for the slides, laughing the entire way.

"Boys, if I see you push your sister on the swing, you'll be doing chores the rest of the night!"

"Yes, Mum," they said in unison. She muttered to herself, counting her children. "All here," she said to herself, going to her bag and getting out her coffee cup. "Do you want some?" Molly asked.

"Please," Lily said, looking around for anyone she knew and then took the cup Molly offered her.

"You're not the only mother who disguises their coffee."

"Am I that obvious?" Lily asked.

"I can spot the mother from a mile away. Standing with the Milly crowd at an enchanted playground talking about how easy it is to raise a magical child without a wand. Meanwhile, every single one of those mothers is exhausted, but instead of deciding to watch out for each other and give each other a break, Milly forces witches to judge one another. Child tests their magic at this age. But, Merlin forbid a mother drink coffee because then you'd be committing a motherly sin, so instead, you look like a zombie and miss the best part of being a mum...it's just an impossible standard set forth by one witch."

"You're not a fan of Mother Milly, I take it?"

"I think she is perfectly fine, but I have six boys and a girl that can run circles around the boys. I just don't think using a wand and raising children have anything to do with each other. A wand has nothing to do with a mother's ability to care for her child. A mother's love is deep within her. It's born the first time her child looks at her. It never fades, it protects her child and keeps her going when nothing else will and using a wand won't change that fact one bit. "

Lily's eyes began to tear up, but she didn't have a chance to respond because suddenly, both Harry and Ron climbed to the top of the beanstalk. They flew through the slide loops and lost their balance (despite a very powerful sticking charm) and started falling to the ground. Molly's wand was in her bag and Lily had hers with Harry's pushchair. The boys went toppling to the ground with Molly and Lily unable to stop them. When they hit the ground, they both bounced and of course, both boys thought it was the funniest thing to ever happen to them.

Their mothers?

Not so much.

The boys got up and ran to do it again.

Molly retrieved her wand and stopped both boys mid-run, turned them around and marched them over to the picnic table.

"Sit," both Molly and Lily said at the same time.

"They are determined to test all the limits of magic today aren't they?" Lily asked Molly

"I believe so. Why don't you have lunch with us, dear? Apparate to The Burrow, there are less high slides, the children love my corned beef sandwiches, and I won't judge you if you use a sleeping charm on your little boy."

Lily smiled, "I'd like that."

Molly gathered the Weasley children and, along with Lily and Harry, they apparated to the Weasley home. She had all six children fed and down for a nap within an hour. Even the oldest was sound asleep.

"You're incredible!"

"I wouldn't have a moment's rest otherwise," Molly answered. "I'm making a pot roast tonight for dinner," she said pointing to the freezer. The roast, potatoes, and carrots all made their way to a giant pot with boiling water.

Lily sighed, "I think it's just going to be me and Harry tonight. James is tracking a tip from Albania and won't be back 'til Monday."

"Rubbish," Molly said. "Stay for dinner, the boys get on just fine, there's plenty of food. I'll let you set the table without Magic if you want"

"I'd like that," Lily said. "But maybe I will charm the table."

"It will look the same no matter what," Molly said. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Weasley garden, planting herbs and brewing tea. "Can I ask you a question?" Molly said.

"Sure," Lily clipped fresh rosemary.

"Why would _you_ even entertain such rubbish as Mother Milly?"

Lily shrugged, "It's nice to have common ground with other mothers who already look down on me because I work. Apparently, an Auror's wife isn't supposed to work and doesn't help that I'm muggle-born."

"Oh," Molly went back to her garden. "But you're Lily Potter," she said a moment later.

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that your child saved all decent wizards from that tyrant. Your little boy is a hero—"

"Dumbledore is the hero," Lily countered.

"That's not the way most people see it," Molly paused. "I look at you in awe," she confessed. "Most people do."

Lily wanted to scoff, instead, she held back tears.

"Your husband is on the front lines fighting to keep us safe and you're a Potions Mistress, something that is unheard of for a woman, let alone a married woman with children. But based on the way that little boy looks at you, I'd say he loves you with or without a wand."

Lily's tears fell.

"You know what your boy needs?" Molly asked. "You. He needs you to show him what strength looks like. James will teach him to fight back against-he-who-must-not-be-named."

Lily nodded, "James said there were rumors.

"And when he does come back, it will fall to our sons to make sure he-who-must-not be-named is gone for good...so for now, just love the boy he is, because it won't last. Those mothers can have their way of doing things. All you have to do is is be Harry's mum and enjoy every moment you get to be that because we aren't promised a say in how fast our children will have to grow up."

Lily wanted to say more, but at the moment, Harry and Ron came running down the stairs and outside, ready to play.

"Harry!" Lily said. "Do not dive into the mud."

The boys played until dinner time. Lily watched as the two boys built mud castles and played on training brooms. Molly bewitched them so they wouldn't fly out of the yard or any higher than a few feet off the ground (but still a little higher than a toy broom). After dinner, they apparated home. Harry clung to his mother while his head rested on her shoulder.

As she put him to bed that night, Lily was reminded of the vow to protect the little boy sleeping in his bed, keep him safe, love him, raise to be the type of man who would carry out the plan Dumbledore set forth. He had to be the best of her and James. He'd need his father's bravery and her love. He'd need James' spirit and her discipline. He needed...them. Both of them. Something Dumbledore knew when he took her place and sacrificed himself.


End file.
